Who We Can Save Today
by WhimsicalWriter4
Summary: S4E05: Roan knows Clarke almost let her own mom get killed to protect her people. Peacefully bringing Kane and Bellamy as prisoners to negotiate won't be enough. Plus, he has a bone to pick with Bellamy. The guy DID shoot him unprovoked. After first chapter, Kane's POV.
1. Chapter 1

So it just seemed a little off to me that Roan (or any Grounder) would take prisoners but not touch them. That doesn't follow what we know about Grounders, even Roan. The first part is Bellamy, but the rest is entirely Kane's POV (3rd person limited, present tense). I'm not entirely sure about this one, but it was interesting to think about the possibilities. And while I do try to stay true to the Bellarke relationship as the show gives it, season four has dragged it out in a sort of unrealistic way, so anything in this story (though subtle) is meant to feel more realistic.

Know that the rest of the chapters don't sound like this one, because of the POV shift, so if you didn't like this, maybe give it one more page *please* :)

Always appreciative of a review! Enjoy!

* * *

Bellamy stands next to Kane, empty. His wrists and ankles are shackled, but he can't bring himself to care.

"They'll be caught completely off guard," Kane hisses. "Nearly everyone in Arkadia is working on the Ark."

Bellamy knows he should care. Knows if Kane is right, women, children, _everyone_ is in danger. Hadn't he said something important before he left about coming back? The List. They'd made the List, he and Clarke, but mostly Clarke.

Except now there is an open spot. His sister's spot. And Bellamy can't bring himself to care about anything except that empty lifeless name. Octavia. His sister, his responsibility.

"Is there any way we can warn them?" Kane asks. "Someone we can send?"

He'd failed. Again. Only this time…this time he doesn't get another try. Octavia. Gone. It was a good death, they'd said. Well—

"We can't just stand here."

"Shut up and listen to the King of Azgeda," Bellamy snarls.

He, of course, recognizes only his name as Roan speaks. He hadn't picked up Grounder the way Octavia had, and at the moment he really isn't trying to understand it anyway. His mind isn't in Polis at all.


	2. Chapter 2

And now we switch to Kane, a POV I am not very comfortable writing, but decided the story really needed to be told from there to make it work the way I wanted it to. So, please have a little patience with yours truly :)

Underlined is in Grounder language.

* * *

Kane sighs but turns his attention to Roan just as he hears his name and "Bellamy kom Skaikru."

All eyes turn to them. Bellamy doesn't seem to notice. Kane is pretty sure he doesn't notice much of anything, and hasn't since the dungeon. The man's desperate sobs cut Kane deeply, but there isn't anything he could have—wait _what_ was Roan saying?

"Kane is their leader, and we will respect that," the Azgeda king thunders to his fully armed warriors. "Bellamy is alive because he is important to Wanheda, and I will use him to make a deal. He must remain alive when we reach Arkadia."

Kane pales and looks at Bellamy. The younger man doesn't seem to know the danger he's in, or doesn't care. Is he even aware that Roan basically handed him off to the whole Azgeda army with the only request being "He must remain alive when we reach Arkadia"?

Before Kane has the chance to say anything, the warrior holding their chains gives the order to move, simultaneously yanking on their restraints.

Bellamy stumbles forward, staring straight ahead with dead eyes.

"Bellamy," Kane says sharply.

No reaction.

"Bellamy!"

His head turns slowly as his feet drag along the ground, stirring up clouds of dust.

"You need to watch your back."

"No talking," their handler orders.

Bellamy's expression stays the same. His moving feet seem to be the only change about him.

Kane tries to catch his eye but can't. He knows Bellamy and Octavia had been close, but they had other things to worry about now. Roan will take them to Arkadia and use them to broker some sort of agreement with Skaikru. Abby is at the lab, so it will be Clarke Roan speaks to.

That's good, right? Clarke is good at making tough choices to protect her people. Kane has no doubt that Clarke will stand strong and won't cave because of Kane's relationship with her mo—Bellamy.

It all falls into place. Bellamy isn't with Clarke to help make the decision, he's here. Roan knows a chancellor can be replaced, but can Bellamy?

"Bellamy," Kane says roughly, desperate now to get his attention. Surely the two leaders of the Hundred have a way of communicating when they can't talk aloud. If Bellamy can just get a message to her… "Bellamy, snap out of it," he orders.

"No talking!" is followed by a kick to Bellamy's shoulder. It sends him spinning, and with his feet shackled and the horse moving at such a pace, it is impossible to recover. Bellamy tumbles to the ground with a startled grunt of pain.

There is nothing Kane can do. Bellamy is dragged across the rocky earth for a good five minutes before he rights himself.

Kane's eyes meet Bellamy's for a split second before the Azgeda warriors fill in the growing space between them. Bellamy's chain has suddenly become much longer, while Kane's has remained short, keeping him near the front of the army.

Kane swears. It takes all of five minutes before the moving body of the army shifts in a telling way to where Bellamy had stood. A moment later, a cry of pain. Then another. And another.

"Roan!" Kane shouts.

Roan turns on his horse to look at Kane but says nothing.

"Your men, they'll kill him. They know he's connected to Wanheda, and probably SkaiRippa as well. You know they've been waiting for this."

Roan's expression remains neutral. He turns to face forward again.

Bellamy's cries are now drowned out by the angry shouts of the Azgeda army. And all Kane can do is shuffle on and hope the warriors obey Roan's orders.

He isn't sure how much time passes before Roan finally speaks without turning. "Bring him out. We are almost to Arkadia."

Their handler nudges the horse to a faster rate and pulls on the chain. Kane watches in horror as the army parts and Bellamy's body is dragged out from their midst.

"Bellamy, stand up," Kane urges, barely able to look at the bloody and battered young man.

Bellamy moans but only rolls over, revealing his bloodied face and torn jacket.

The handler pulls again, and Bellamy draws dangerously close to the horse's hooves. Bellamy shouts when a hoof comes down on his hand.

"Roan, stop. Let him get to his feet," Kane begs.

Roan holds up his hand and the whole company stops moving. Kane reaches for Bellamy and pulls him to his feet. Bellamy sways weakly. Blindfolds are dropped over their heads. Kane doesn't even have time to take stock of their location.

"They knew we were coming." Roan's gruff voice.

Echo utters something in return, but Kane doesn't hear it.

"They knew," Kane whispers to Bellamy, hoping he's still beside him. "Our people knew Azgeda was coming."

Kane hears Bellamy shift, his breathing change.

"Octavia," the brother breaths almost reverently.

"We need to talk." Clarke. Confident, ready.

"Little late for that," Roan says. "Archers! Target Wanheda!"

"My King," is all Echo says.

Silence. Kane has no way of knowing what's happening, but he presumes Clarke was shomehow ready with a defense.

"Bring the prisoners," Echo orders.

Hands grab his arms, and Kane is moved forward. Bellamy's gasp suggests he is moved as well. A moment later, they're pushed to their knees. Bellamy's grunt of pain is subdued but hard to miss.

Suddenly, blinding sunlight. Kane looks at Clarke for a brief moment, sees the horror on her face, then turns his attention to his companion.

Bellamy sways weakly on his knees, his eyes on Clarke, a look of helplessness and hsame at being a pawn used against her.

"Your move, Wanheda."

Kane sees them now, the snipers on the ridge, presumably waiting for Clarke's command. There's a sword at Bellamy's throat.

Clarke doesn't even respond to Roan. Her eyes are on Bellamy. "You ok?"

"Yes." His voice shakes, and Kane can't tell if it's from the pain or the realization that Octavia is alive or both.

Clarke nods.

Roan lifts his arm, and Kane sees Bellamy's gun.

"Ten minutes," Clarke says. "That's all I ask."

"Let's make sure," Roan snarls.

The gun's shot echoes in the canyon, followed closely by Bellamy's cry. When he starts to topple over from the impact of the bullet, a guard shoves him upright.

"Bellamy!" Clarke gasps.

"It's ok," Bellamy chokes out.

"Touch him again and my snipers fire," Clarke threatens. "You're out numbered. Your best option is to talk."

Roan nods and dismounts. "Better make it quick," he recommends with a glance at Bellamy.

Then the two disappear into the woods.

Kane is watching Bellamy now. Blood runs freely down his arm from where the bullet is lodged. "Bellamy, are you alright?"

"Just peachy," Bellamy grinds out. But he looks alive again, and the fire is back in his eyes. His sister is alive, and Clarke is working on a truce. All good reasons to start caring again.

"I'm going to put pressure on the wound." Kane says it once so Echo and the Grounders can understand, once so Bellamy can.

It's a horrible waiting game. Kane tries pleading with Echo to release them but is unsuccessful in getting her to even acknowledge the situation. Bellamy's blood seeps through Kane's fingers, and the kid sways even more, and Kane starts to doubt whether Clarke knows how serious this is.

"I said that," Bellamy slurs.

"What?"

"After Luna, I said that and shot him."

Kane sighs. This is great. Not only does Roan know he can manipulate Clarke by putting a timer on Bellamy's life, but now he's out for revenge?

"She made me 'pologize," Bellamy continues, eyelids fluttering.

"Bellamy, stay with me. Clarke will work out a deal and we'll take care of you. You'll get to see your sister."

"She warned them."

"I'm sure she did. Keep your eyes open. Tell me when Clarke comes back."

Bellamy smiles wistfully. "Octavia's strong."

"She is."

"Clarke is…Clarke." Bellamy sounds confused. Kane can't blame him. tHe two clearly have some deep connection, and trying to put words to that after being beaten and shot is understandably hard. "Smart."

"Sure."

"She'll win."

"Win?"

"Beat Roan. Always does. I shot him."

"So I heard."

"I'm too close."

"What?"

"We hurt each other. Too close…causes that."

Kane assumes Bellamy is talking about how easily the co-leaders can be used against each other. "Yes, but sometimes that price is worth it."

"The people…."

"You can't protect everyone, and you certainly can't protect others until you're safe. Sometimes you being safe means having a person you can trust."

Bellamy manages a smile. "I trust Clarke."

Even with everything happening, with the fate of their people hanging in the balance of a conversation that is supposed to end before Bellamy bleeds out, Kane still manages to chuckle. "I know." Because really, _everyone_ knows that.

Kane feels Bellamy go limp As Kane turns to catch the kid, struggling with their shackles, Kane hears Clarke calling to them. Then she's there, helping support Bellamy.

"We made a deal," is all she says.

Bellamy whimpers.

"It's more than his arm," Kane reveals.

Clarke nods. "I know. Monty and Miller are on their way down to help get him back."

When the shackles are released, Kane stands. "There's a lot we need to discuss."

"After Bellamy."


	3. Chapter 3

They get back to Arkadia, and Clarke takes Kane as her assistant. Jackson's not around, and Kane was with Bellamy so he should be able to tell her what happened, she explains.

"My sister?" Bellamy asks half-deliriously.

"Octavia's alive and resting. She warned us about Roan. You can see her later, but right now she needs to rest, and you have other things to worry about."

But he doesn't look worried, he seems to visibly relax.

By the time Clarke decides it's important to dig the bullet out of Bellamy's arm, he's fully conscious and lying half-upright on a bed in medical. His eyes never leave Clarke as she hurries about, but his expression and white knuckles say what he doesn't.

Suddenly Clarke freezes. "Bellamy, where's Stephens?"

"Dead."

Kane expects him to leave it at that, because the kid's in a lot of pain and was never much of a talker.

"Echo captured us and got Stephens to reveal your plan."

"They tortured you?"

The barest of nods.

"They said Stephens didn't deserve to be a warrior after giving in and killed him. Right there on the throne room floor. We couldn't stop them."

"I'm sorry," Clarke says simply, putting a hand on Bellamy's arm. It's only then that Kane realizes she had crossed the room. He had been so focused on Bellamy's words, the voluntary reveal of information Bellamy hadn't even told Kane, that he didn't notice her movement.

At first it's a little odd, frustrating even, but then Kane reminds himself that the information Bellamy is sharing isn't vital to Kane. But it's barely important to Clarke either (unless he starts to give more details on the torture he endured). Still, Bellamy must have suffered quite a bit, and he isn't one to talk, much less about his own struggles.

"It was my fault. I decided to hunt Azgeda land, and I said some things while Echo was…trying to get me to talk," Bellamy continued. "I was angry, and I got Stephens killed."

Clarke doesn't say anything, and Kane knows this is a conversation he is lucky to observe, but he should not speak up.

"You told me not to but I was an idiot and didn't listen and now Stephens is dead."

"We don't know that," Clarke counters. "We have no way of knowing _what_ would have happened and—"

Bellamy manages to control his violent coughing. "Water," he explains, apparently seeing a question in Clarke's eyes that Kane didn't recognize.

"Echo?"

Another nod, and Kane starts to understand Bellamy's appearance when he'd dropped to his knees on the throne room floor. Damp messy hair, exhaustion, annoyance bordering on helplessness…what had they done to him?

"Almost as bad as being hung upside down and drained for blood," Bellamy adds with a teasing grin.

"I'm sorry," Clarke says again, and Kane wonders if he's ever heard her say those words twice in one day before. "I shouldn't have—"

"No. We already had that discussion. It's over."

When? When had they talked about that?

"What did they do?" Clarke asks, looking at Kane as if she is remembering now that he's there.

"I don't know what Echo did," Kane admits. "Roan let his men at Bellamy with the order that they not kill him. A horse stepped on his hand, it's probably broken." A confirming nod from Bellamy. "My guess is broken ribs, minor cuts and bruises. I wasn't in the crowd, so I couldn't see."

"You're the chancellor," Bellamy needles. "I'm not."

"You're more important," Clarke says suddenly, then ducks her head and starts cutting Bellamy's sleeve around the bullet wound.

Bellamy flinches but keeps his eyes on her hands. "Only to you," he replies, voice hesitant as though he's testing the waters.

"Roan knew that," Kane realizes, speaking out loud when neither of them does. "What deal did you make, Clarke?"

"We'll talk about the deal later," Clarke says firmly. "Right now you make sure Bellamy doesn't move while I get the bullet out and set his hand."

So feet, legs, and hips are strapped down to the metal bed, and Kane is tasked with shoulders and arm.

"This is going to hurt," Clarke warns.

"Just get it out."

So Clarke starts with the knife, and Bellamy groans, and Kane worries that he'll be sick. Eventually Clarke switches to using her fingers, shoving them deep into Bellamy's arm, and Bellamy is howling but too weak to put up a good struggle.

Clarke holds up the bullet, and Bellamy is left gasping and half-sobbing. Kane can't bring himself to look at either of them, like it would be an invasion of privacy somehow.

"Bellamy." Clarke's voice, soft and teary.

"'M ok," Bellamy's voice, rough from screaming and trembly.

"Bell, hey, you'll be fine."

"MmHmm." It sounds forced, like if he opens his mouth it won't be words coming out.

"It damaged the bone, but I removed the chip and now I just need to suture the bullet hole."

"'kay great."

Kane hears movement and a stifled sob, but he can't tell who it belongs to, and he doesn't turn to look, he just does his job. How do Clarke and Abby and Jackson do this every day?

"The deal," Bellamy says. "What did you do?"

"Not now—"

"Now, Clarke. Please."

Kane understands Bellamy needs a distraction, needs some way to maintain his dignity, especially after all he'd gone through in the last few hours. So he begins helpfully, "Roan found out about the plan to repair the Ark. He essentially declared war on Skaikru."

"We're not at war," Clarke assures them as she threads a needle. "He agreed we would share the Ark equally."

Bellamy's hiss of pain tells Kane Clarke has started.

"How?" Bellamy croaks.

"It took some convincing," Clarke confesses.

"No, how could you do that? The List was bad enough. Now you…aughahaha…cut it in _half_? You just doomed fifty more people to their deaths."

"You were dying."

"I'm only one person, Clarke."

"No, you're not. You make sure others are safe."

"Stephens—"

"The Ark is a backup plan. I don't want to use it, but if we do it doesn't seem right to only save ourselves."

"The Grounders have never—augh!"

"Hold still. We aren't the Grounders, Bell. We're different."

"One for fifty is stupid and just plain bad math."

"Says the history student," Clarke teases.

History student? Bellamy never struck Kane as the type. But now that he thinks about it, the kid is crazy intelligent. How does Clarke know this?

Bellamy doesn't respond.

"We save who we can now."

Bellamy remains quiet, and Kane suspects Clarke is using his own words against him.

"There."

Kane looks over to see a neatly sutured line where the hole had been. "Nicely done," he remarks, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thank you. Hopefully it doesn't scar."

"Won't make a difference," Bellamy assures her. "What's one more?"

Clarke moves on to the next biggest problem and begins setting Bellamy's hand. Kane mercifully holds out a role of gauze, and Bellamy bites down on it. Eventually the rubbing of shattered bones is too much even for Bellamy, and he vomits all over himself. Clarke deftly makes a few more adjustments to his hand. Bellamy's cries are not muffled by the gauze anymore, but it's been a long hard day for him and he's hoarse.

Kane wishes medicine on earth wasn't so barbaric, then feels bad because he's not the one causing the pain or even feeling it. But he does feel it.

Clarke wraps Bellamy's hand and cleans the vomit off, something about her matter-of-fact actions taking away the humiliation from the situation. She hums something while Bellamy shudders and swallows hiccupping whimpers.

Kane sits and leans against the wall. "We need to decide what to do about Azgeda."

"I did," Clarke says.

"To save Bellamy. But now we need to talk about our options."

"There aren't any. I made a decision, and Roan agreed."

"You can't make decisions like that without checking with me first."

"You weren't available," Clarke snaps. "Bellamy's life was on the line, and so were yours and all the other Arkadians."

"The Grounders respect Clarke," Bellamy speaks up. "I trust her, and so should you. She knows what she's doing."

Kane sighs. "I don't like it."

"None of us do," Bellamy says gruffly. "But Clarke's right: we save who we can now. The Ark is only a backup plan."

"And what happens when we have to use that backup plan?"

They never answer that, instead talking for a while longer about politics and decisions needing to be made. Bellamy eventually grows silent, and Kane can tell the pain is making him tired. Kane too falls into silence. Not ready to face anyone else, he stays in medical, eyes closed and not speaking. He can hear Clarke's quiet voice as she talks about supplies and options, barely able to hear her over the washing of tools. Bellamy keeps up his side of the conversation, his voice a low rumble, rattling from the water in his lungs.

At some point Clarke checks Bellamy's other injuries, and Kane thinks the kid is actually telling Clarke what happened to him, but Kane can't tell for sure.

Their voices turn to low murmurs, with a small laugh now and then, and Kane lets himself drift off.

They'll save who they can save today. Tomorrow, they will do the same.

* * *

And that's a wrap, folks! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews are greatly encouraging :)

I love taking moments and filling in where the show maybe didn't go far enough to satisfy its audience (for any number of perfectly reasonable reasons). If you have any suggestions on a scene, please don't hesitate to send me a message or say it in a review. Thanks!


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